Hawaiian-guitar steel.



C. J. RUSSELL.

HAWAIIAN GUITAR STEEL. APPLICATION FILED HAY l8. I9I7.

1,280,858. Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

awwemtoz I g I I 4 v @M'ovmua CHARLES J. RUSSELL, 0F DENVER, COLORADO.

' HAWAIIAN-GUITAZB. STEEL.

Application filed May 18, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. RUssnLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hawaiian-Guitar Steels; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in guitar steels or the metal devices employed in connection with guitars. The article of this class heretofore in use, so faras I am aware, has consisted of an approximately rectangular piece of meta]. whose corners are sufficiently abrupt to render the holding of the same uncomfortable while performing with the instrument. My object is to provide a device of this class which shall be shaped to conform to the natural position of the hand and fingers when the device is in use, whereby the hand of the performer will be comfortable when using the steel with the guitar in the regular way. A steel which renders the hand uncomfortable when in use necessarily interferes with the performers work, as will be readily understood.

Having briefly outlined the invention, as well as its advantages, I will proceed to de scribe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a steel constructed in accordance with my improve ment, the position of the hand when holding the steel being approximately indicated by dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the device viewed from the opposite side.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate my improved device, considered in its entirety, the same Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

Serial No. 169,417.

being composed of suitable metal, preferably steel. The top or upper edge 6 of the device is curved slightly, while its forward portion has a sort of compound curve as shown at 7, whereby the rear portion of the upper edge is shaped to conform approximately to the position of the hand, while its forward portion is shaped to allow the fore-finger to assume a natural and easy position wheI rthe device is in use. This is well illustrated in Fig. 1, in which the fore-finger is indicated by the numeral 8. The rear portion of the device is rather abruptly curved, as shown at 9, in order to cause it to conform ap proximately to the shape of the portion of the palm of the hand which it engages when the steel is in use.

The steel is provided on opposite sides with shallow recesses 12 and 10 which are adapted to respectively receive or engage the extremity of the thumb and the second joint of the middle finger, the latter being designated in Fig. 1 by the numeral 13. As shown in the drawing, the finger joint recess 10 is longer than the thumb recess 12, which makes recess 10 extend farther forward as well as farther backward than recess 12.

From this it will be understood that the article is shaped to conform as far as possible to the natural shape of the portions of the hand which engage the steel when the latter is in use, the object being, as before indicated, to enable the performer to com fortably retain the steel in place in the hand while performing upon an instrument of this character.

The lower edge of the instrument is rounded transversely, as shown at 14. This feature, however, is usual or common in steels of this character.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A guitar steel whose upper edge is curved downwardly in the front and rear to conform approximately to the shape of the engaging portions of the hand of the performer, and whose opposite sides are recessed to receive the end of the thumb and the second joint of the middle finger respectively substantially as described.

2. An article of the class described, having an upper and a lower edge, the upper of the article, one recess being longer than edge curving abruptly downward at one end the other and adapted to receive the second to fit the palm of the hand, the other end joint of the middle finger, and the other 10 curving more gradually downward and havrecess being adapted to receive the extremity ing a depression in the curved portion formof the thumb.

ing a compound curve to accommodate the In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. fore finger, there being arecess in each side CHARLES J. RUSSELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained tor five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C." 

